Bridle



(No Model.)

' S. A. NOLEN.

Bridle. No. 235,643. Patented Dec. 21,1880.

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STEPHEN A. NOLEN, OF SEARUY, ARKANSAS.

BRIDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,643, dated December 21, 1880.

Application filed November 1, 1880. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. NoLEN, of Searcy, in the county of \Vhite and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the connections used to unite the bands or straps of the bridle together and to the bit, whereby nearly all stitching of said bands is dispensed with, and thus leather is saved as well as some of the labor formerly required in constructing a complete bridle.

Heretofore the ends of the brow-band of bridles have generally been looped to receive the head-band. The nose-band has also been looped at each end, or riveted to clips provided with slits to connect it to the cheekstraps, and the lower end of the cheek-straps have also been looped around the rings of the bit or through a series of rectangular openings at the upper end of said. bit. The latter has sometimes been made with two bit-bars to prevent a horse from holding the bit between his teeth. The ends of single-bar bits have also been made to clasp rings on each side of the animals mouth, and these rings have been made with stationary buckles to retain the reins.

The object of my invention is an improvement upon the above-mentioned bridles, it being to unite the nose and brow band to the cheek and head strap by means of flat metallic disks and rivets, and to provide a doublebar curb-bit with buckles connected to its upper and lower end by metallic straps pivoted to said bit.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a bridle having my improvements. Fig. 2 represents, in perspective, the fastening for the brow-band and rosette. Fig. 3 represents, in perspective, the fastening for the nose-band. Fig. 4. represents a perspective view of the bit.

In said drawings, A represents the headband. It has its two ends split to form two short straps, the strap a, to be connected with the check-straps B by means of the buckles b, and the straps c, to be united with the throatlatch.

To connect the brow-band D with the headband the metal disks 0 are used. The browband being riveted thereto at d, adjoii'iing their edge, forms at each end, between it and the disks O, an opening for the passage of the headband. The disks 0, taking the place of ordinary rosettes, are thus securely united to the bridle.

To connect the nose-band E with the cheekstraps, there is riveted to each end of the former, at c, a metal disk, F, which is secured to the cheek-straps by means of two rivets, f. The rear portion of the nose-band is, in the drawings, represented by a chain, E, secured at each end to said disks, and a halter-chain, G, is connected to the middle link of the chain E by a strap-hook, g,- but it is evident that the rear portion of the nose-strap may be made of leather and riveted to the disk F in the same manner as the front portion, or be an ex: tension of the same nose-strap.

The connecting-plates O and E are preferably made circular; but they may have any other suitable form that may be determined upon.

The bit of this bridle is of peculiar construction. It is made of two side bars, preferably of plate-metal, forming the curb, united by two bit-bars, h and h, riveted thereto. The lower bar is straight, and the upper one is bent upward in the middle at 71. To each end of the side bars is secured abnckle, i, by means of a metallic strap, j, passing around its middle or tongue bar and clasping the end of the side bars ofthe bit. A rivet, 70, passing through the ends of said metal strap and through the end of the side bars, H, connects them permanently, although each buckle is free to be moved up and down around said rivet and sidewise around its middle or tongue bar. The upper pair of buckles, t, are to retain the bit connected to the lower end of the cheek-strap, while the lower pair are to receive the ends of the reins L without requiring the latter to be looped.

In a bridle constructed as above described there is a saving of about eighteen inches in the length of leather straps used over ordinary bridles.

The curb-chain M is attached to the side bars of the curb-bit in the usual manner.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a bridle, the brow-band D,having each end provided With a metal disk, to which it is riveted at two points to form a loop having its inner side formed by said band and its outer side by said disk, in combination with the head-band passing through the loop thus constructed, and substantially as specified.

2. The nose-band E, in combination with the metal disks F, secured thereto by rivets 6, with the cheek-straps B, attached to the disk by rivets ff passing through said disks above and under the nose-band, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the cheek-straps of a bridle constructed substantially as specified, the bit composed of the side bars, H, a straight bit-bar, and a bent bit-bar riveted to the side bars, provided with the buckles 'i, and metal straps j riveted to said side bars, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a bridle-bit, the combination of side bars, H, a straight bit-bar, and a bent bit-bar immovably secured to said side bars, provided with buckles i, and metal strapsj passing around the middle or tongue bar of said buckle and permanently riveted to the side bars of the bit-,substantially as and for the purpose described.

STEPHEN A. NOLEN.

Witnesses:

It. W. JoNEs, W. A. B. JONES. 

